Lex Luger's Hollow Victory (1993)
In the summer of 1993, Lex Luger was positioned as the next Hulk Hogan. After famously body-slamming the colossal WWF Champion Yokozuna on the USS Intrepid, the patriotic 'Made in the USA' hero embarked on a bus tour, the Lex Express, campaigning for
a title shot. The entire promotion was built around him conquering the seemingly unbeatable champion at SummerSlam. The match itself was a tense affair, but the finish left everyone bewildered. Luger knocked Yokozuna out of the ring with a forearm smash, and the champion was counted out. Luger won the match, but not the championship, as titles don't change hands on a count-out. Yet, the ring filled with fellow babyfaces, balloons dropped from the ceiling, and Luger celebrated as if he'd won it all. Fans to this day debate the decision. Was it a colossal booking mistake that killed Luger's momentum? Or was it a deliberate choice to prolong the chase that simply backfired, leaving fans feeling confused and unsatisfied by the empty celebration?
The Summer of Two Champions (2011)
The 'Summer of Punk' was one of the hottest storylines in modern WWE history. After winning the WWE Championship at Money in the Bank on the supposed last night of his contract, CM Punk disappeared. In his absence, a tournament was held, and John Cena was crowned the new champion. When Punk returned, it set up a massive unification match at SummerSlam to determine the undisputed champion, with COO Triple H as the special guest referee. The match was another classic between the two rivals, but the ending was mired in controversy. Punk hit Cena with the Go To Sleep for the pin, but Cena's foot was clearly on the bottom rope. Triple H missed it and counted the three. While Punk celebrated, fans debated whether the finish was a deliberate screw-up to protect Cena or simply a referee error in the storyline. The argument became moot moments later when a returning Kevin Nash attacked Punk, allowing Alberto Del Rio to cash in his Money in the Bank briefcase and steal the title, effectively ending the 'Summer of Punk' in the most frustrating way possible.
The Heist of the Century (2013)
Daniel Bryan's journey to the main event was a true underdog story. After John Cena hand-picked him as his SummerSlam challenger, fans were ecstatic. In a spectacular main event, Bryan defeated Cena clean in the middle of the ring to win his first WWE Championship. Confetti fell, the crowd erupted in 'YES!' chants, and for a fleeting moment, it was the perfect storybook ending. That's when the debate began. As Bryan celebrated, Randy Orton—the Money in the Bank briefcase holder—appeared. He teased a cash-in but seemed to walk away. Special referee Triple H, who had called the match fairly, then shocked the world by turning on Bryan and hitting him with a Pedigree. Orton rushed back to the ring, cashed in his contract, and pinned the unconscious Bryan to become the new champion. Fans still argue about the execution. Was the gut-punch of a betrayal necessary? Did it create the ultimate villain in The Authority and make Bryan's eventual triumph at WrestleMania XXX even sweeter, or did it needlessly rob a deserving star, and the fans, of a genuinely happy moment?
The Finish That Fooled the Ref (2015)
The Undertaker's quest for vengeance against Brock Lesnar, the man who broke his WrestleMania streak, culminated in a brutal main event at SummerSlam 2015. The match was a physical brawl, but the finish was one of the most convoluted and debated in the event's history. Late in the match, Lesnar trapped Undertaker in the Kimura Lock submission. The timekeeper at ringside saw The Undertaker tapping out and rang the bell, but the referee, whose view was obstructed, never saw the submission and didn't stop the match. Amid the confusion, with Lesnar believing he had won, The Undertaker hit Lesnar with a low blow. He then locked in his own submission, Hell's Gate, causing a defiant Lesnar to pass out rather than submit. The official ruling was a win for The Undertaker, but replays clearly showed him tapping out. The debate rages on: Was this a clever, chaotic finish designed to protect both men and extend the feud, or was it an overbooked mess that made everyone, from the referee to the timekeeper, look incompetent?
